A Different Toudai
by sydneyeliza
Summary: Alone to battle homesickness, loneliness, and an arrogant roommate, Naru finds life at Toudai much more difficult than she expected.
1. Naru's new life

A different Toudai  
  
Author's note: I need to start off firstly by apologizing if I (and I'm almost sure I have) changed what actually happened in Love Hina. I haven't seen the full length of the anime and I don't know what happened during several of the OVAs and specials; so please bear with me. This is my first Love Hina fanfiction as well; so please drop me a line and tell me what you think! Arigatoo!  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the gorgeous, brilliant, popular, and hated-by-Naru Asami Fukuyama.  
  
She remembered the breeze at Hinata Inn being warm and pleasant, plucking petals from the nearby blossoms and sprinkling them over the ground and in her hair. When she was a little girl she'd run under the trees and earned herself scoldings by plucking flowers from the trees. In later years she'd studied under the forgiving trees for the Toudai entrance exams. She'd spent many a day with Kitsune and Motoko-and later Shinobu-leaning over the balcony, simply enjoying the day.  
  
Here the wind was cold and harsh, and Naru felt as if icy, invisible claws were tearing at her locks. She shivered and drew her soft red coat closer around here. The edges were frayed now, and the red that she had remembered was once so bright now dulling by the day. She remembered clearly when he had given it to her for Christmas, when he had-  
  
Naru shook her head and pulled her hand away from the soft white edging again, gazing wistfully out into the Japanese landscape. She could see miles of both city and farmland from her balcony. Automatically her eyes traveled to the tall, gray rectangle on the edge of the city. For the millionth time she cursed it for blocking out what had been her home for the last several years. If only she could see it, then maybe she could dissolve the hard knot of homesickness that had crystallized in her heart.  
  
I should be happy, she thought, turning away from the cold and desolate gray building, leaving one hand on the metal railing.  
  
Naru had finally achieved the dream of her life-to attend Toudai. She'd been overjoyed when she had seen her name posted high on the list-Naru Narusegawa-and had run home shrieking to tell her friends. They had all reacted predictably-Motoko with her quiet, subdued congratulations, Kitsune musing about the fun she would have with the guys she was to meet, Shinobu promising to send packages of her famous cookies, and Su had literally bounced off the walls in excitement. That night Shinobu and Haruka-san had prepared an extra-special dinner and they all shared in it heartily. No mention was made of the only person that should have been there and wasn't.  
  
Urashima Keitaro. No one had heard from him in over a year, since he'd left Hinata Inn.  
  
Naru had responded by pushing herself deeper and deeper into her studies, rarely emerging from her room, acting as if she cared the least. The others were shocked and for weeks a pallid silence hung over Hinata Inn.  
  
Now, looking back, Naru realized that everyone had had a better time of adjusting than she had. They had faced the problem head-on; she had run away. Now she was probably the only one that still thought of him daily.  
  
She went inside and closed the door behind her, letting in the final gust of cold wind with a whoosh. Her roommate, Asari Fukuyama, was out as usual. Asari was a dark blue-eyed black haired beauty who was the apple of every man's eye. She'd been swarmed with boys asking her for dates ever since she arrived-in fact, even her introduction to Naru had been interrupted by a tall, handsome male who led her of without so much as a word to Naru.  
  
Asari's side of the room was covered with pictures of Toudai males, 90% of which had a large red X drawn across their faces. Naru's eye swept over them, an expression of distaste coming over her face. Yes, Asari-san was beautiful, her figure slender and supple, her features perfectly proportioned-but Naru hadn't taken a liking to her. Having spent eighteen years of her life struggling to get into Toudai, it hadn't been easy for her to realize that she had achieved her purpose and wouldn't have to cling so tightly to her studies anymore. Naru was still waking up to her books, studying through lunch, studying through dinner, and using her textbooks for pillows. She didn't appreciate Asami's coming back in the early hours of the morning, giggling noisily; nor did she like coming home late, exhausted from studying, and finding the gorgeous Asari laughing with a guy- who was sitting on her bed. The first time this had happened Naru had walked over and promptly punched him out the window. As they were only on the second floor, nothing too bad short of a few bruises had happened, but Asari was furious and hadn't spoken to Naru since. And due to the fact that everyone loved Asari, everyone was soon turned against Naru.  
  
No, attending Toudai was not as dreamily beautiful as she'd always imagined.  
  
Her only happiness had been her grades. Spending no time outside and putting every ounce of energy into studying was earning Naru Narusegawa the top grades of her year. But good grades would never get her the looks or the guys of Asari-whom she was doing everything to avoid now, which was hard as they lived in the same room.  
  
Naru let her mind wander back to the promise. She was supposed to meet someone here as a promise, but along the way she'd met other guys. Seta- san, for one, had resigned before she'd become a student and from what she had heard from Kitsune, was now living in California with Sarah. Naru had tried to write to him and wasted several sheets of paper. Unfortunately Asami had discovered them in the trash can and made them public, only destroying Naru's reputation more as several of the older boys dating Asami had known Seta-san. Naru still cringed at the thought of one of them relaying this news to him.  
  
She sighed. Yes, she was jealous of Asami. Asami who was gorgeous, brilliant, popular. . .  
  
Suddenly the brunette couldn't stand all those images of Toudai's best- looking guys-they were invading her mind and personal space! Then a thought crept into her mind and froze her insides with horror: was it possible that the one she had made the promise with-the very man she had promised to meet at Toudai-was now one of Asami's many dates?  
  
Naru propelled herself up and stepped onto Asami's bed, giving herself full access to the pictures. With her bare hands, baring her unpainted natural pink nails, she tore down image after image, shredding them in her hands. She left the tiny pieces all over Asami's bed, which was now creaking pitifully under her weight. It had never creaked under Asami's light frame, and the thought made Naru even angrier as she tore the last page from the wall, taking off a strip of paint with it. She shredded that too, then let the pieces fall from her hands, suddenly tired. She stepped off of Asami's bed and got onto her own.  
  
No, she thought, I don't want to be like Asami. But I would settle for one guy. . . just one special guy. . .  
  
Naru drifted off to sleep, images of Urashima Keitaro standing below the cherry trees flashed through her mind. 


	2. A disappointing surprise

A different Toudai, Chapter 2  
  
Naru could have sworn that shriek sent her jumping three feet into the air out of a sound sleep. The main light was on, as well as Asami's two fancy little bedside lamps given to her by one of her many admirers, and yet her roommate was shining a flashlight directly in her face. Naru groaned as she remembered her actions. She was in for it now.  
  
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" shrieked Asami, one arm extended so that the light bulb of the flashlight was just centimeters away from Naru's nose, her other hand propped on her waist.  
  
Naru sat up and rubbed her eyes, taking her time, then colored as she noticed the man standing in the doorway. He was dressed elegantly and held a bouquet of pink roses in his hand, but the expression on his face showed that he was both confused at the scene and unclear as to what he should do. The effect was that he appeared most tempted to run out the door.  
  
She was suddenly tempted to laugh as she realized a second-and possibly stronger-factor for Asami's anger. The blue-eyed beauty hadn't expected her to be here. Obviously, upon entering in the dark-several hours had passed since she'd shredded her roommate's pictures-the first thing Asami would have encountered would be Naru's silhouette on the bed. And Naru knew from experience that if there was anything Asami hated, it was her getting in the way of one of her dates.  
  
She couldn't help reveling in the delight of driving Asami mad. If only there wasn't a man staring at her while she was in bed. . .  
  
Seeing that she wasn't going to get much more of a reaction out of the brunette, Asami huffily turned off the flashlight and pulled an expensive leather jacket over her revealing low-cut top. She threw one last disgusted look towards Naru and quickly her voice turned to maple syrup as she said sweetly, "Ikimashoo, Hisashi-san."  
  
Asami would make her pay later, Naru knew. She lay back down as the lights switched off and the door slammed, but didn't go back to sleep immediately. It had been small, and had come at the expense of being humiliated in front of a man, but tonight shone as a tiny jewel in the deep black pool of times she had been humiliated by Asami.  
  
= = = = = = =  
  
Naru burst into her room, a bubble of hope swelling in her heart, amplified when she saw that Asami wasn't there. Her roommate hadn't taken the time to piece all the pictures back together; she had instead thrown them away and sweetly acquired twice as many in the past few days. Naru didn't care.  
  
She tore the envelope open, savoring the excitement, then paused on the verge of opening it and withdrew her hand from the folded letter. The brunette ran her hand over the name again. Her name.  
  
Naru Narusegawa.  
  
She knew that handwriting; she'd seen it a million times while helping him study for Toudai exams. Unable to bear the excitement any longer, she tore the letter out of the envelope and quickly unfolded it. Five thick pages, covered with writing, tumbled to the floor. Naru scrambled on her hands and knees to find the first page and grabbing it, read eagerly.  
  
Her hand sank almost as quickly as it had snatched the letter, and her eyes closed in despair. A ploy. That was all it had been, a trick from the hands of Konno Mitsune.  
  
Dejectedly Naru opened her eyes to read it. Her emotions flooded from disappointment to anger. After having almost no contact with her high school girlfriend, Kitsune had seen fit to play such a prank on her? Naru scanned the letter and saw that she had copied Naru's name off of one of Keitaro's math papers. As much as Kitsune's prank had hurt her, Naru realized that the reminder of Keitaro's feelings for her hurt much worse.  
  
Naru closed her eyes and let herself float back to the past.  
  
= = = = = = =  
  
"Do you understand it now? Keitaro? Are you even paying attention?!"  
  
"Uhh, hai," Keitaro responded quickly under Naru's glare. Apparently satisfied, the brunette jabbed her pen at the equation and continued to scribble quickly.  
  
"After you take the square root of both sides-no, it's not two, it's three- divide both sides by x-understand?" Her pen hesitated in midair. Keitaro's large brown eyes got even wider.  
  
"Yes," he said, and Naru relaxed her facial muscles into a smile-a smile that quickly vanished as Keitaro folded his hands behind his back and leaned back in his chair, rocking on the two hind legs. "It would be so wonderful to be an archeologist someday-and never have to use math-"  
  
"Of course you have to use math in archeology, Keitaro!" exclaimed a shocked Naru. "Imagine all the math you'd have to do to date the objects you found, to calculate the actual sizes of shattered objects, to-" She leaned forward to draw up a list and her action shifted the table, which in turn shifted the hind left leg of Keitaro's chair, which promptly tipped over.  
  
"Ouch. . ."  
  
"Kei-taro!" Accenting the first syllable as she always did, Naru stood up, and a torrent of annoyance burst forth. "How do you expect to get into Toudai if you don't want to learn math? You'll never get anywhere by simply imagining the good days ahead!"  
  
She turned to leave, but something caused her to hesitate. Her name.  
  
"Naru?"  
  
Naru colored, her eyes even wider than Keitaro's. Then, without a word, she turned to leave.  
  
Now she knew why Keitaro had been lost during that study period-he'd spent all of it elegantly drawing her name on his paper. She'd never seen her name look so beautiful-Naru Narusegawa-drawn with black ink with calculus problems for a background.  
  
= = = = = = =  
  
She really wished she hadn't exploded at him like that.  
  
Naru lowered her head again to look at the letter, then tossed it into the wastebasket. The last page landed at an angle so that only half of the back was visible, and it was covered with handwriting Naru didn't recognize-not Kitsune's, and certainly not Keitaro's messy scribble.  
  
No-it was Shinobu's, Naru realized, as she pulled the letter out of the wastebasket. A smile came over her face as she read Shinobu's innocent, tentative little words inviting her to come home for Christmas. She promised to make some of her cookies. Naru discovered she would love to return just for those cookies. And then she'd pull some pranks of her own on Kitsune.  
  
Suddenly happy again, as if a lead weight had been lifted off her chest, Naru went to her desk to write a reply to her girlfriends. 


	3. Motoko and Shinobu in the Christmas spir...

A different Toudai, Chapter 3  
  
Author's note: Wow I got my first reviewers! Thank you all so much! There'll be a bit of jumping from character to character here, before we go back to Naru : )  
  
It wasn't like her to do this, but just for today Motoko had gone out on a trip to town before training, and Shinobu had accompanied her. The younger girl's request to come along had come out as a hurried burst, followed by a flood of apologies. Motoko didn't mind; she simply advised her to dress warmly. According to Su's new weather-detector machine, it would be snowing soon. Motoko made sure that she was never within a ten-foot radius of the mechanism. Everyone else seemed to follow this course of action, which confused Su greatly.  
  
"What?" she'd asked. "It doesn't do anything harmful! It only predicts the weather! Look-" and she pressed a fatal button. Its mechanical arm, which was connected to a thermometer on the edge, began to whistle and spin, smashing against one of Haruka-san's prized china cups. Shinobu gasped and Motoko sighed; then both simply fled the scene, leaving Su to clean up the mercury and shattered china.  
  
Now the two dark-haired girls, one tall, one short-one with long hair, one with short hair-were making their way down the long flight stairs. Shinobu had her hands crossed over her chest in an attempt to keep warm, and was lagging slightly behind Motoko. The older, more calm and trained girl had her hands in her pocket and walked silently, a concentrated expression on her face, as if deep in contemplation. Shinobu was afraid to interrupt and kept a step behind. Come to think of it, she wasn't even sure why she had offered to come along with Motoko-of course the skilled kendo girl didn't need company, or anyone to defend her-even when the horde of admirers came after her. Afraid of asking, Shinobu kept her thoughts to herself and thought instead of the others. Su, of course, hadn't changed much after Keitaro's sudden departure; as soon as the initial shock was over she was immediately back to her overexcited self, designing more mechanisms that caused the inhabitants of Hinata Inn to run all over for cover. More than once she'd blown holes in the roof.  
  
Mutsumi Otohime had replied with her usual feminine-sounding "ara ara!" and was the only one that hadn't thought Keitaro would return. The others had all reasoned that yes, he had taken all the clothes and belongings he might need and vanished without a trace, but where else would he go? Or, as Naru put it-"Who would take him in?"  
  
Shinobu remembered Naru's face as she said that-her voice in a slack, indifferent tone, not even looking up from her book. She wondered what had happened between Naru and Keitaro-things had been going so well.  
  
And then there was Kitsune. The noisiest, most raucous girl of Hinata Inn had been escorted home one night by Seta-san shortly after Keitaro left, thus resulting in an argument with Naru, her best friend since high school. Since Keitaro's departure Naru had become very touchy to the subject of guys, no matter which guy was being discussed, whether or not she had anything to do with him.  
  
They'd reconciled their differences when Naru was accepted to Toudai, however, and in those short days before the brunette's departure they became closer than ever. Kitsune left herself only two weeks later-on a venture to Osaka, she'd told them-and had barely written in the months that had passed. Shinobu had heard from Haruka-san that Seta-san had moved to California with Sarah.  
  
So that had left Shinobu, Motoko, and Su at Hinata Inn.  
  
Several times Motoko felt the urge to turn around and see if the younger girl was still following her; Shinobu walked so quietly that she couldn't tell if she was still there. Several moments later she had a thump and a startled "s-sempai, matte kudasai!"  
  
Her long dark hair whirled around as she turned. Shinobu had slipped on a patch of ice and fallen over. Without a word Motoko helped her up; then they continued on their way.  
  
Perhaps, thought Motoko, she had been the one least affected by all the departures around her. After all, a good deal of her life had been spent training; and that had kept her at some distance from the others. She'd never had a best friend, as Naru and Kitsune had been, only her sister, yet it had never bothered her. To Aoyama Motoko, there was only her training.  
  
With Naru and Kitsune gone, Hinata Inn had become much quieter and seemed empty at times. Su had made an obvious effort to fill in for three people- and it was an effort that was not particularly appreciated. Motoko was finding herself sinking deeper and deeper into contemplations at times, deeply immersing herself in her training, both physically and mentally. Training-it always came back to that.  
  
But something had drawn her out of that trance during the last few days. Kitsune was coming home, and Shinobu had invited Naru. Haruka-san and Shinobu were preparing a fancy dinner and Su had decided to put herself in charge of the Christmas tree and decorations. There seemed little left for Motoko to do except for gift shopping. The only person she would really feel comfortable buying things for was her sister, so in a way she was glad Shinobu had come along-she might be able to help her select some presents. She couldn't imagine what Naru and Kitsune might be like. Would Kitsune have developed an Osakan accent? She couldn't help but smile secretly to herself at that idea.  
  
She was surprised to hear the driver's voice announce that they had reached their destination. Apparently Shinobu had paid for their tickets, since she certainly didn't remember doing so. Motoko gave her head a little shake and reminded herself to stay out of such deep thoughts, which she'd been immersed in a little too often recently.  
  
She slowed her pace, making it clear that she wanted Shinobu walking by her side and not behind her, and the younger girl responded accordingly. They passed toy shops and jewelry shops, bakeries and other such stores before Shinobu suddenly stopped and gasped in delight. With her elbows bent 180 degrees and her hands in loose fists at her chin, a wowed expression on her face, Shinobu exclaimed, "It's so pretty. . ."  
  
Motoko led the way into the store and pretended to be examining some potato peelers while Shinobu went and asked the price of the apron. Soon she returned disappointed; Motoko didn't ask why. A few minutes later, her Christmas spirit revived, Shinobu went to go look at other supplies. Motoko made her way to the saleswoman and exchanged a few quick words before tucking a carefully wrapped apron of the exact same pattern and material into her bag.  
  
Ten minutes later they reunited outside the store, each holding a package. Motoko immediately inquired as to Shinobu's purchases.  
  
"I bought Naru some potholders," she said shyly, and the older girl remembered Naru's letter complaining about the lack of cooking supplies she'd brought to Toudai, and was touched that Shinobu remembered-after all, that letter had come in early September. "Do you think she'll like a pattern of strawberries?"  
  
"I think she will," assured Motoko, a smile coming onto her face. The younger girl cast one last longing look at the apron and turned away.  
  
"What did you buy?" asked Shinobu, as they made their way down the street.  
  
"I bought Su a variety of random gadgets for her mechanisms," said Motoko smoothly, her alibi already prepared. Shinobu laughed out loud when she heard this.  
  
"I wonder what Kitsune would like?" she wondered aloud.  
  
Motoko smiled to herself, the spirit of Christmas infecting her soul. It would be fun to buy presents for everyone, and especially to celebrate Christmas together at Hinata Inn again.  
  
Author's note: In case you were wondering, matte kudasai is "please wait" in Japanese. And all of us who have seen Love Hina know what sempai means : ) 


	4. Kitsune comes home

A different Toudai, Chapter 4  
  
So Naru was coming too, thought Kitsune, as she refolded Shinobu's letter. Out of boredom she'd written a letter to Naru in Keitaro's hand and sent to the girls at Hinata Inn purely out of fun-if no one else did, at least Su would get a laugh out of it. But Shinobu's carefully clipped characters made no mention of that letter.  
  
Since arriving in Osaka, her birthplace, Kitsune had rented herself a cozy little apartment on the second and top floor of the building. There were disadvantages to this of course-some nights the heater had broken and she'd felt like an ice cube; there had also been summery September days when she'd longed to be an ice cube. She'd gotten to know her neighbors a bit; there was only one way to describe the guy on her left-baka. Even more stupid than Keitaro, Kitsune had mused, smiling a little. He'd moved in a few days after her and was utterly dumbfounded that a young, single girl lived next to him, and was soon finding every excuse to knock on her door. She had considered kicking him over the balcony if he showed up again, but put that thought aside after thinking of Naru and Motoko, and just how much she missed them.  
  
She still didn't know exactly why she'd left Hinata Inn. A change of scenery, an escape from a much-emptier home, to get away from Su's inventions-all these had played a part. Kitsune left Shinobu's letter on the desk and took out her wallet, removing the high school picture of herself and Naru.  
  
Kitsune stared at the adolescent version of herself, as she had appeared three years ago. Naru had been fifteen years old, sporting a short little- girl type hairstyle, while she'd been eighteen and in her last year of high school. Despite their age difference, they'd always been close.  
  
Seta-san. The name still brought a fluttering feeling to Kitsune's stomach- was it love, or embarrassment? She'd never been able to explain to Naru what had really happened that night-in short, just about nothing. She'd been on her way home when she ran into Seta-san, accompanied by Sarah, and he'd walked her home, since Hinata Inn was on the way anyway. Just the same, the younger brunette had initially shut herself up, refusing to have any contact with the outside world, and when she finally emerged, Kitsune had thought it better to just give up the whole subject.  
  
Kitsune chose to take in her surroundings at that minute, reminding herself that she must not miss her stop. The train ride had actually been fairly smooth so far and she'd enjoyed looking out the window at all the cornfields and children playing by the rails. The only people sitting near her had been a gaggle of noisy girls who were bursting into giggling at random moments.  
  
Konno Mitsune, 20 years old.  
  
Her Osakan accent had fit right in the moment she stepped off the train three months ago-and in a strange sense, she felt that here she was home. Here everyone spoke with the same tone she did and didn't find some of her minor habits quirky. She'd quickly found herself a job as a teacher at a basic elementary school, teaching Japanese literature. The subject didn't interest her, nor did the idea of keeping fifty unruly students at bay for seven hours every day. However, it paid her enough to keep her little apartment and provided her with some vacation time. Kitsune had kept a fair distance from the other teachers, especially the male ones, not knowing just how long she would stay. For her there would only be Seta-san, and since he was gone, there would be no one. She wasn't interested in a relationship with anyone else.  
  
Especially not with the guy next door, thought Kitsune, smiling to herself. He was probably at her door now, carrying a pan of homemade Christmas candy and wondering why she wasn't answering him.  
  
Her hand shifted down to the bag underneath her seat, instinctively feeling for the rubber handle. In it, wrapped in the few clothes she'd brought, were the Christmas gifts she'd bought. A pretty Osakan style kimono for Motoko-she remembered how beautiful the kendo girl had looked last time they'd gone to a festival. There was a set of silverware for Shinobu, and a simple set of four china cups for Haruka-san to replace the ones that Su had supposedly destroyed. She'd purchased a set of hair things for Mutsumi san and for Su, a little radio that could fit in the palm of her hand. Knowing the younger girl, it would probably be in pieces by the end of the day.  
  
Not expecting Keitaro to come, nor Seta-san or Sarah, Kitsune had been left with only one present left to buy: Naru's. She honestly didn't know how Naru would react to her presence. She'd hardly talked to the younger brunette since they'd gone their separate ways-and the fake letter from Keitaro didn't count, of course. In the end she'd purchased a box of chocolates, thinking that she couldn't go wrong there.  
  
With all the presents, her bag weighed a lot more than she'd expected, and Kitsune found herself carrying it in her arms instead of slinging it over her shoulder as she'd intended.  
  
She was almost there. Just one short bus ride between the floor tile on which she stood and Hinata Inn. . .  
  
Or maybe she'd walk.  
  
Kitsune pushed her way backwards from the bus stop, in the opposite direction of the majority of people, which were pushing towards the oncoming bus. Getting herself loose was one thing; getting her oversized bag out was another. Kitsune apologized, tugging on the strap. It promptly flew into her unready self and knocked her over. She got up quickly, hoping the china cups weren't broken, and began to walk. Behind her the bus pulled up and left.  
  
It was mid-December and the weather seemed as cold as could be to Kitsune; the tiny bit of heat she had stored coming off from the train was rapidly seeping out of her coat. She glanced forlornly at the bus, now blocks ahead of her, and thought fervently that at least she wasn't lost. There was only a mile or so to go, but it certainly turned out to be the coldest mile. By the time Kitsune reached the foot of the huge flight of stairs that led to Hinata Inn, her arms were leaden with exhaustion from the weight of her bag and her legs too cold to feel anything. She half tossed her bag to the floor, dreading the shattering sound of china, but didn't hear it. Kitsune sat down on the very first step and hugged her knees to her chest.  
  
She wasn't surprised when the first snowflake landed on her right knee and melted. The weather was certainly cold enough to produce snow.  
  
Kitsune fetched her bag, now wet from melted snow, and slowly made her way up the stairs, taking what seemed like an eternity. Outside the door she paused, hearing the laughter inside. Overhead was a window from which streamed light. Fishing in her pocket with numb hands, Kitsune produced an icy metal key and managed to turn it.  
  
She pushed open the door with one hand and left it there, while six heads turned toward her.  
  
"I'm home." 


	5. Uninvited yet Expected

A different Toudai, Chapter 5  
  
Mutsumi smiled to herself as she pulled out the lacy pink and white dress she had worn to Hinata Inn once a few years ago, the day that Naru's precious Liddo-kun had been accidentally boiled. Keitaro hadn't been here last year-Mutsumi knew he wouldn't this year either. She always knew these things, but she new that she was probably the only one that always believed her instincts.  
  
The girls at Hinata Inn hadn't taken the trouble to invite her; they always knew she'd be coming. From what she'd heard, Kitsune was coming back from Osaka, and Naru from Toudai. No mention of Keitaro.  
  
Mutsumi put the lacy dress back-it was much too cold for a strapless, low- necked gown. Another simpler, sea green dress emerged into view beneath her rummaging hands and she smiled to herself. The velvet gown was perfect, and if she did some more searching, she was sure to find the perfect coat for it.  
  
For the others she'd purchased the exact same thing-boxes of Christmas candy, but for Naru, she'd happened to come across something she simply couldn't give up. Mutsumi was not the kind of girl who would see something and declare that she just had to have it, but it was the perfect gift for Naru-a brand-new, perfect condition Liddo-kun. The show had been canceled some ten years ago and the younger Japanese children of today had no idea who Liddo-kun was, so the show's merchandise had been disappearing from the market rapidly. Ever since the boiling, Naru's precious Liddo-kun had never been the same; no amount of scrubbing would get all the salt and sauces out. The toy remained a dark shade of yellowish-orange, while the soft fabric had been worn-paper thin. Naru had refused to give it up, however, and within a few weeks the skin had split. Shinobu had dutifully sewed it back up, though a three-inch seam remained on the side.  
  
When Mutsumi had purchased the toy, she'd specially ordered that Naru's name be embroidered into the side.  
  
Mutsumi counted the number of identical boxes again to make sure she had the right number, and stacked them into a bag. In her other hand she would carry the specially packaged Liddo-kun.  
  
"Ara ara," she murmured to herself as she stepped outside, "It's so beautiful."  
  
Hinata Inn had always been the most beautiful in two seasons every year: the dead of winter and the beginning of spring. Ever since she was a child, Mutsumi had loved the sight of snow falling down on the cold, desolate world, with the moon acting as a spotlight, casting light blue shadows on the snow.  
  
The dark-haired girl placed the bag of candy boxes on the ground and squatted down, pressing one finger deeply into the cold snow. There was only about an inch of snow, but from experience, Mutsumi knew that it would snow through the night and possibly through the next day.  
  
If Naru were here, she thought, she'd be yelling at her to go inside before her presents were soaked. Since she still had a short walk until she reached Hinata Inn, Mutsumi dutifully obeyed the Naru in her mind, picking up her packages and walking on.  
  
Ten minutes later she slipped into Hinata Inn unnoticed, as usual, and brushed all the snow off of her clothes and hair before taking off her coat and shoes. No one took note of her silent entry into the dining room, so Mutsumi hovered for a moment in the doorway, observing everything. Decorations had been hung up haphazardly all over, looking rather incomplete. Shinobu and Haruka-san were undoubtedly in the kitchen cooking up the feast that was to be served, and Motoko was nowhere to be seen. But the most interesting subject by far in Mutsumi's sight was Kitsune.  
  
The poor girl was soaked, dripping water even as Su hurried to remove the coat. Kendo girl appeared a moment later with a set of dried clothes and some towels. Kitsune took them from her, muttering, "Arigatoo."  
  
The three were much too busy to take note of Shinobu, who was coming in their direction. She carried three plates from which were wafting delicious scents-one in each hand, and the third balanced upon her head. As she made her way quickly, the youngest girl slipped in a puddle of water left on the floor by Kitsune's clothes.  
  
"AIEEEEEEEEEE!"  
  
Shinobu skidded on the wooden floor, stopped only by the ancient wooden cabinet. By then there was only one plate of her excellent cooking in her hands, and she got up frantically, looking around in desperation for the others.  
  
All four Hinata Inn residents stared in surprise as Mutsumi made her way calmly to the table and placed the other two plates on the table without spilling a drop of sauce. She stood back and smiled.  
  
"Merry Christmas!"  
  
"How'd you get in here?" asked Su, while Kitsune exclaimed, "When'd you get here?"  
  
"Just a moment ago." She turned to Kitsune, who was still dripping water. "Okaeri nasai."  
  
Kitsune colored and fumbled around her for the towel. Motoko picked it up and handed it helpfully to her, then bent to wipe up the rest of the water. Shinobu did the same, first taking off her worn and faded apron. Mutsumi caught Motoko's hand hesitating for a split fraction of a second at this action, but didn't know why.  
  
"All we're waiting for is Naru," said Motoko. "Kitsune, you should go and take a warm shower. Naru won't be home until later."  
  
Without invitation Mutsumi swept gracefully over to the table and placed her gifts on the growing pile. Haruka-san poked her head out of the kitchen to say hello before quickly turning back to her pot.  
  
Su jumped into Motoko's arms and pumped an energetic fist into the air, yelling, "Now let's finish the decorations!"  
  
Motoko put Su down gently and Mutsumi followed them-uninvited but expectedly-into the main room where last year's fake Christmas tree stood proudly, only half decorated. Su clambered onto a chair, clutching the gold star in one hand, clearly intending to place it on the top bough.  
  
"Su, no!" exclaimed Motoko.  
  
The chair on which Su was standing on toppled over, throwing her into the tree, which fell over promptly as well. Several glass ornaments shattered and the lights were instantly unplugged, veiling them in all in darkness. There was a moment of shocked silence.  
  
"Ara ara," said Mutsumi. Motoko looked very down.  
  
"Standing on the back of a chair is never a good idea," she told Su, striding over to pick up the remaining ornaments.  
  
"Ne," said Kitsune by way of greeting. The three girls turned to see her in the doorway. "I don't remember our Christmas tree being in this shape last year."  
  
"I. . . fell on it," Su admitted.  
  
Instead of scolding her, as one might have expected, Kitsune burst into laughter. Mutsumi saw that Motoko looked relieved; Kitsune had been so quiet earlier that they'd all wondered what was wrong with her. Now, her true self was coming back.  
  
Kitsune stepped over and helped Su off of the tree. By now, the darkness didn't seem so dark anymore. 


	6. Two homecomings

A different Toudai, Chapter 6  
  
Asami hadn't forgiven her. She wasn't surprised. Asami would probably never forgive her.  
  
Naru was packing nonchalantly, ignoring the loud giggles and exclamations Asami was making from the other side of the room whenever her current man kissed her. They were watching a movie and the dark-haired beauty was clearly making every effort to cause Naru to explode in frustration.  
  
Well, she won't succeed, thought Naru. She'd had plenty of experience blocking things out of her mind-especially back when she had been studying in her room at Hinata Inn and Motoko had been chasing Keitaro down the hallways, brandishing her sword.  
  
Hinata Inn. The word stirred some fond memories within her.  
  
Asami laughed silkily and put an arm around the man's neck. "When the little brat is gone," she said, accenting the word brat, "we'll have this place all to ourselves."  
  
Naru did not reply. She'd folded all the clothes she would need and now there was only Liddo-kun to retrieve off of her bed. She made towards the stuffed animal, but Asami reached it first.  
  
"Who would imagine that a Toudai student still sleeps with stuffed animals?" the dark-haired beauty sneered, and her man laughed. Naru was suddenly filled with anger. Slander to herself she could withstand; her precious Liddo-kun in Asami's hands she could not. She lunged for it, knocking Asami to the ground. The girl screamed and flailed her arms and legs, yet managed to hold Liddo-kun out of Naru's reach.  
  
"Hey, hey," the guy muttered, clearly unsure of what he should do. "Break it up, girls."  
  
"Stay out of this," Asami hissed, her voice losing the silky tone. Sensing danger, the guy quickly retreated, holding his hands up in a defensive manner. Naru took the chance to reach for Liddo-kun but Asami pulled her arm back-and the worn fabric tore on the bed frame with a sharp, ripping sound.  
  
Asami was the first to move, throwing Naru off of her with a disgusted look. "Get off me." She glared at the torn toy in her hands, stuffing now falling out of it. "What the hell." She tossed it behind her bed and came back to her man, the sexy, seducing princess again. "Now, where were we?"  
  
Naru would not suffer the disgrace of retrieving her toy from behind Asami's bed. Besides, the place had never been dusted and her precious stuffed animal was probably unfixable. The brunette slung her bag over her shoulder, tossed her hair in as nonchalantly a way as she could, and stepped out the door. The last thing she heard of her dormitory was Asami giggling girlishly.  
  
= = = = = = =  
  
All thoughts of the dark-haired beauty with whom she shared a room vanished from Naru's mind as she flew up the staircase leading to Hinata Inn. She could hardly wait to see them all-Shinobu, Motoko, Su, Haruka-san, and Kitsune, who had evidently come home from Osaka. From past parties Naru knew that Mutsumi would undoubtedly be there.  
  
She slipped on the last step and fell to the ground, her bag falling from her hands and skidding the full length of the last ten feet she had to go, stopping with a loud thump against the door. Kitsune opened it to see Naru sprawled on the floor in the cold snow.  
  
"Naru!" she shouted, and ran to envelope her friend in a huge bear hug. Naru basked in the warmth of Kitsune's body, delighted that her girlfriend bore no grudges from the past summer.  
  
Shinobu appeared in the doorway and called out, "Okaeri, sempai!" before calling over her shoulder, "Motoko-sempai, please bring another towel!"  
  
Kitsune half-escorted Naru into the kitchen, where she was met with a hearty welcome and a table laden with delicious dishes. Motoko soon returned with a towel and some more dry clothes, but Naru declined, wandering from room to room, explaining that she wanted to catch up on all she had missed. Her gaze stopped on the fallen Christmas tree.  
  
"Su fell on it," explained Motoko in her calm, matter-of-fact tone. "We've been trying to resurrect it."  
  
"Hey," called Haruka-san from the other room, "Dinner's ready."  
  
Su took Naru's coat and told her to go take a seat, as the guest of honor. Shinobu cast a curious glance at the familiar red and white velvet coat Keitaro had purchased for her and looked at Naru, who didn't notice. The younger girl made no comment and instead went around filling up everyone's glasses.  
  
"Naru," said Motoko quietly, "how is Toudai?"  
  
Naru put down her chopsticks and thought wistfully of Liddo-kun for a moment, then brought a smile to her face with some effort. "It's all right. Classes aren't as hard as I expected."  
  
"That's good," Motoko said, taking a sip of her miso soup. Beside her, Kitsune called out, "Haruka-san, is there any sake in the house?"  
  
"Yes, I bought it just for you," said Shinobu, hopping up to get it.  
  
Unintentionally shifting the conversation to herself, Kitsune kicked back and murmured, "It's so nice to be home."  
  
"How do you like Osaka?" Naru hastened to ask.  
  
Kitsune took a deep sip of sake and sighed. "Great." Then she proceeded to consume the rest of the bottle, not even bothering to pour it into her glass.  
  
Naru thought: She's drunk again.  
  
= = = = = = =  
  
He'd done his best to ignore all the Christmas vendors and cheery lights and signs on his way here, concentrating his mind instead on what he would say. His feet made slow, even footsteps through the snow but he never looked up.  
  
There it was, Toudai. His dream school. A dream he'd given up, but someone else hadn't.  
  
Keitaro entered the school, a warm gust of air washing over him and instantly melting the snow on his dark brown hair. It suddenly struck him as very silly; he didn't even know if she was here, and if she was, he had no idea how to find her. Students who were staying over break walked by in front of him, giggling and laughing. No one cast a glance at the loner.  
  
Twenty minutes later he was strolling down what should be the hallway where Naru's room was located. He wondered if she would punch him upon seeing him; at Hinata Inn she certainly would have done so.  
  
Keitaro hesitated in front of the door; then, with a gentle twist of the doorknob, opened it and found himself facing the dorm room of Naru Narusegawa. 


End file.
